


To New Beginnings

by Space_Cadet_Blues



Category: IT - Stephen King
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Eddie Kaspbrak Lives, First Dates, Flashbacks, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Movie: IT Chapter Two (2019)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-30
Updated: 2019-11-10
Packaged: 2021-01-14 23:55:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 5,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21244109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Space_Cadet_Blues/pseuds/Space_Cadet_Blues
Summary: After beating all the odds Richie has Eddie back in his life, and he'll spend the rest of it making up for lost time.----A collection of one shots.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I dipped my toe into the fandom after Chapter 2 crushed my heart. 
> 
> This is a collection of one shots inspired by dialogue prompts. 
> 
> All one shots are set within the same AU but may switch back and forth between past and present.

They’re drunk, considerably so when they stumble out of the restaurant and into the dark street, talking too loud and giggling, shoulders bumping as they walk. The lights and noise is what draws them and they stumble a few streets over until they are standing at the entrance to a fairground.

Throngs of people are milling about, talking and laughing, eating hotdogs and candy apples. People in the distance scream as they are hurled about on mechanical contraptions.

Richie swallows, knowing that somewhere within the jungle of metal and canvas there is bound to be a clown themed stand or ride. He doesn't want to know. Doesn't want to find out. Dragging up their worst memories was not the ending he'd envisioned for their first official date. 

“C’mon Eds. Let’s go home huh," Richie says, tugging on Eddie’s sleeve.

But Eddie doesn’t budge. 

“No. No let’s... I want you to win me something,” Eddie says firmly.

His eyes are hard, like he must be thinking the same thing as Richie, but then his words sink into Richie’s drink fogged brain and Richie snorts involuntarily.

“Win you something?”

“Yeah. Normal couples go to places like this right? I want us to go in there and I want you to win me something.”

“What if it’s a stuffed clown. Will you want it then?”

“... Yes.”

“... Well alright.” Richie claps his hands together before taking Eddie’s hand and leading him inside. Eddie's drunken mania is infectious apparently. 

Richie buys them both cotton candy which they eat as they wander through the crowd hand in hand, occasionally feeding each other bite size pieces. Eddie spots what he wants and Richie lets out a small nervous laugh when Eddie points it out.

A small sandy coloured stuffed Pomeranian.

“That one!”

“You gotta be fucking kidding me-“

Eddie shushes him, pressing a sticky finger to his lips. He gives Richie a smile that says 'wouldnt that be the biggest _fuck you_' and Richie makes him right.

Richie doesn’t win the Pomeranian but he pays the guy running the booth for it anyway. 20 bucks. A rip off! But Eddie holds the stupid thing under his arm with the biggest grin on his face and suddenly Richie doesn’t feel so bad about it.

They finish their cotton candy and are considering going on a couple of rides when Richie spots it. An unmanned train with a simple circular track built for small children, the paintwork an ugly faded red and white. Scattered around the track are half a dozen painted wooden cut-outs of clowns in various shapes and sizes. The sight makes his stomach turn.

Eddie stops abruptly causing a slight commotion behind them as people mumble obscenities before continuing on around them.

“I wanna fuckin' go on it,” Eddie says abruptly.

“Eddie. You can’t.”

Richie points to a sign by the entrance gate. Eddie regards it with a look of disgust.

“’Must be _this tall_ to ride,' my ass,” he grumbles.

Richie turns to try and see if there are any other rides they can go on. Preferably ones not covered in clowns. Maybe the Ferris wheel Richie thinks, wondering if he can get Eddie to make out with him at the top. But when he turns back Eddie is climbing into the empty control booth for the train ride.

“Eddie!” Richie hisses.

But Eddie has already found the on switch and exits the cab clumsily to hop the low metal fence and climb into one of the tiny now moving carriages.

Richie follows, almost falling over the fence as he climbs ungracefully over it. He jogs to the carriage Eddie is in and squeezes in alongside him.

“What are you _doing_?!... What are _we_ doing?!”

“Duh, having fun,” Eddie says, leaning out to push over one of the clown cutouts, cackling madly as it topples over.

Richie can’t help but laugh and then he can’t stop. He’s giggling and so is Eddie. They ride the thing round a few times, kicking and pushing over the cut-outs until Richie spots security in the crowd. Richie pulls Eddie off of the train and they climb back over the fence and book it as fast as they can. They leave the fairground via one of the exits and hurry across the dark park together.

“Oh shit!” Eddie curses slowing to a stop.

“What?” Richie gasps, stopping next to him and grabbing his arm for support. 

“I left my Pomeranian on the train.”

Richie laughs slinging his arm over Eddie’s shoulders. “What a shame,” he says sarcastically.

“Such a shame.”


	2. Chapter 2

Richie has been thinking about it for days, weeks, months, hell, years even. Every moment of his life he thinks of Eddie and how he can possibly show Eddie how much he means to him. He’s never had the words but this is it. This is something he can do to show him. Eddie’s been through it before but hopefully it’s something he'd want with Richie. It’s something Richie didn’t even know he himself wanted until Eddie came charging back into his life.

Eddie watches Richie throw on his coat from the living room doorway, hair tussled, snack in hand, a slight scowl on his face. He’s just so, _Eddie_, that Richie can’t look at him right now. He’s made a decision and he needs to stick to it. Needs to make it a reality right fucking now before he backs out like a coward.

“Where the fuck are you going? I thought we were gonna watch a movie,” Eddie complains.

“We are! I just need to get something real quick. I’ll be right back, promise.”  
Richie dashes out to the car and Eddie shuffles out onto the porch watching him bemusedly.

Richie speeds all the way to the mall and screeches into the parking lot which is mostly empty now. He hurries to pay for parking and gets to the jewellery store just as a tired looking employee is about to close the shutters.

“Wait, wait, wait!”

The young woman frowns at him. “I’m sorry sir but we’re closed.”

“What do you mean you’re closed? I still have 5 minutes. Technically.”

This only serves to make her look more irritated. “Sir, please move-“

“Please, look.” Richie tries to compose himself, trying and failing to ignore the little bubble of panic growing inside him. “I need a ring. It’s important. In fact this will be the most important thing I’ve ever done in my life.” He clasps his hands together. “Please. I’ll even pay for your time.”

The woman clenches her jaw for a second before rolling her eyes and sighing. “Fine. But make it quick.” She lets him duck underneath the shutter. “You must have really pissed her off if you’re buying a ring at this time of night.”

“Well, _he’s_ always pissed off about something, but no. It’s nothing like that.” Richie peruses the cabinet for something subtle. Something nice. Something Eddie. “It’s just... The right time.”

***

Richie returns home, little black felt box sitting heavy in the pocket of his jacket. He shuts off the engine and goes to open the car door but finds that he’s unable to move. Is he really doing this tonight?

10 minutes pass and the front door opens. Eddie steps out onto the porch. “Richie! Get in here now, you’re scaring the shit out of me!”

Richie hesitates for a moment longer before getting out of the car. He approaches Eddie like a zombie, dazed and shuffling, hoping that he hasn’t made a mistake. But when he stands in front Eddie and looks down into his annoyed face, Richie finds he doesn’t regret the decision at all.

Eddie’s eyes soften. “What’s gotten into you?” he half whispers.

“You. And I don’t mean that in like, a dirty way I just... I’m yours Eddie. You know that right?”

Eddie flushes, looking confused. “Richie...”

With shaky hands Richie reaches into his pocket and pulls out the little box.

Eddie takes a step back. “Richie.”

“Eddie, I’m not good with words, but I thought-“

Eddie steps forward and grabs Richie roughly by his jacket and leans up to kiss him, cutting him off.

“Yes, I can’t believe you fuckin- just. Yes.”


	3. Chapter 3

Richie is sitting in the study staring at a blank word document on his computer. He’s been staring at it and slowly sipping his way through a bottle of whiskey for about an hour now. Eddie’s teasing had finally gotten to him.

_“Because you work sooo hard don’t you Richie. When are you gonna write your own material huh??”_

So Richie had decided that yeah, fuck it, why not? He would write his own material and it would be a thousand times better than anything he’d performed before. He’s a funny guy, it shouldn’t be that hard.

Turns out that yeah, it’s quite difficult. More so than he imagined it would be anyway.

As focused as he is he’s completely unprepared for the door to be thrown open and Eddie to be standing there in nothing but a pair of small shorts, shining with sweat from his work out as he glares at Richie.

Richie is momentarily distracted from his husband’s obvious anger by the way the light plays across his muscles. Eddie had hit the gym a lot in the time since they’d returned from Derry. Maybe preparing for another fight that will never come. Richie lets him get on with it, if it brings Eddie comfort then more power to him. Though it does make Richie feel a little morose about his own softening body. He could go to the gym too... But he doesn’t really want to. It’s not his thing.

It takes Richie a moment to realise Eddie is barking something at him.

“Sorry, what was that sweetheart?”

Eddie closes his eyes, flexing his hands at his sides. Probably telling himself not to just walk across the room and slap Richie in the face. It’s one of Richie’s favourite expressions. Has been since they were kids.

“Toenail clippings!” Eddie says, slapping one vertical hand onto the open, flat palm of the other, “You left them on the side of the bath again-”

Okay maybe the hand slap thing is another of Richie’s favourites. The rest of Eddie’s words fade into background noise again and Richie ends up getting annoyed at himself. He should be paying attention, not daydreaming about how hot Eddie is.

“Eddie. If you’re gonna yell at me dude, put some clothes on for the love of God.”

Eddie knows what he means. _I’m easily distracted_.

Eddie huffs, flushing bright red. “Screw you, asshole!” He yells, and slams the door, hard. A picture of them on their honeymoon from the previous year falls off the wall and clatters to the floor.

Richie sighs. Well, he'll leave Eddie to cool off, and then he'll go and grovel.


	4. Chapter 4

“Let me wash it.”

“Um. No.”

“Richie!”

“No! Now would you move. I’m trying to Netflix and chill. By myself.”

Eddie stays standing between Richie and the TV, arms crossed over his chest, scowl on his face. Richie has been wearing the same shirt and moping around the house for 5 days and seems content to continue in this fashion for a while longer. The shirt has accumulated such a multitude of stains that Eddie is now sure that Richie intends to use the material to grow cultures.

It’s not that Eddie doesn’t understand depressive slumps. He does. And he knows Richie is agonising over preparing his own material for his new upcoming show, but the slump has gone far enough. Eddie is now prepared to get elbows deep in there and drag Richie out of it, kicking and screaming if he has to. First step, get his husband into clean clothes.

“Richie. I’m gonna give you to the count of three,” Eddie says, warning perfectly underlying his tone. Something he’s actually glad he picked up from his mother.

“You have no power over me,” Richie grumbles, leaning around to try and catch a glimpse of the TV. Eddie continuously leans into his line of sight.

“You sure about that?” Eddie asks, raising an eyebrow.

He’s not one to use people’s emotions against them but he knows for a fact that Richie will literally fight a killer space clown to protect him. So, eventually, with enough prodding, he’ll change that nasty shirt for him too.

“Change the shirt,” Eddie says, throwing the clean one in his hand at Richie’s face which Richie catches clumsily. “Clean up. If this is what’s gonna happen every time I have to go out of town on business for a few days I’m not going anywhere, I’m just gonna have to stay home.”

The way Richie’s eyes light up at that makes Eddie blush. “Bathroom!” he barks.

“Alright, fine. You win,” Richie says, trying his best to sound put out even though there’s a slight smile on his face.

Eddie tries to feel put out himself but finds that he’s just happy that Richie is smiling again.


	5. Chapter 5

There’s a loud _thump_ that startles Richie out of his afternoon nap. It takes him a few seconds to register where he is, and who he is. Flexing his fingers on the soft material of the couch to get his bearings.

There’s another _thump_. Like someone is _kicking_ the front door.

Cautiously Richie eases himself up and heads to the living room doorway. He peers out down the hall and through the frosted pane of the front door he can see the familiar shape of Eddie. Richie lets out a relieved breath. What the hell is Eddie doing? 

Richie swiftly heads to the door and opens it to find Eddie on the front porch holding a cardboard box in both hands. A box that appears to be meowing.

“Eddie?” he says, warily.

“Okay, so, it’s a long story, but to sum it up, we now own four kittens and I love them all so much I’m going to cry for the rest of my life.”

Richie lets out a startled and amused laugh that bubbles up in his chest unexpectedly from the sudden rush of affection for the idiot in front of him.

“Don’t you have allergies?” he asks, already knowing the answer.

Eddie looks up, thinking. “Yes... No... I’m not sure-“ he sneezes.

Richie cocks an eyebrow.

“But they’re so cute Richie,” Eddie says in a small defiant voice, and he looks so distraught Richie almost says ‘fuck it why not?’ but Eddie has allergies and besides, Richie isn't particularly fond of cats.

Richie reaches out, slinging an arm round Eddie’s shoulders, pulling him into the house while comforting him.

“We’ll find them good homes. I promise. Maybe Bev would want one.”

Eddie nods. He lifts the top flap and four little furry faces peer out at them.

Richie sighs a small 'aww' without meaning to and Eddie grins at him.

“No. Idiot. You have allergies. Call Bev and anyone else who might want one of these furry little monsters. It’s bad enough that I have you.”

“Says the person with enough body hair that he could easily be mistaken for a wookie.”

“You _love_ my body hair.” Richie does a particularly good impression of Chewbacca sending Eddie hurrying away from him down the hall and into the kitchen.

“Grow up!” Richie hears him call back with amusement in his voice.

“Not on your life... And don’t put that fucking box on the counter!”


	6. Chapter 6

_“They like each other,” Eddie says suddenly._

_“What?” Richie asks._

_They’re walking their bikes through the woods to the creek, Richie and Eddie trailing behind everyone else._

_“Beverly and Bill. Haven’t you noticed? It’s fricking obvious.”_

_Richie looks from Beverly and Bill walking side by side up front, playfully nudging each other, to Eddie, watching his expression which is somewhat unreadable but he looks... bothered. Richie’s gut tightens unpleasantly._

_“Wait, if Beverly likes Bill then why are you... Oooh, I get it.”_

_“What?” Eddie snaps._

_“You like her too?” Richie’s tone is almost accusatory and Eddie wrinkles his nose in distaste._

_“Are you an idiot? No, don’t answer that. I already know that you are.”_

_Richie rolls his eyes, ignoring the insult. “Then why are you all fucking bothered about it?”_

_Eddie watches them interact with something like, longing? But if he doesn’t like Beverly then that makes no sense._

_“... I’m not. It doesn’t matter.”_

_Eddie walks a little faster to catch up. Richie trails behind feeling lost._


	7. Chapter 7

_Stanley really wishes he didn’t feel the way he does about this situation. He loves them both, he does, but as Richie and Eddie’s voices grow louder and more aggressive he really wishes the rest of the gang were out today too. But no. Today it’s just Stan, Richie and Eddie on the way to the arcade._

_Stan had positioned himself in between them hoping to defuse their ridiculous feud about what game they were going to play first, but they had just ended up leaning round him to screech at each other._

_“You picked last time!” Eddie yells._

_“Yeah, because it’s a good game asshole.”_

_“Come on guys-“_

_“I hate to break it to you dickwad but street fighter is actually not that great. It’s so overrated, and if you keep playing it with Bowers' little cousin you’re gonna get in fucking trouble.” Eddie’s voice cracks with an emotion Stan hasn’t heard before._

_They all fall silent._

_“I’m uh, not feeling that great. I’m gonna go home, see you later Stan,” Richie says, peeling away from them and turning down a side street._

_“Richie!” Eddie yells, but Richie doesn’t turn around._

_Stan notices the look on Eddie’s face. Pinched in anger but his eyes are... sad. Stan is at a bit of a loss. Usually their fights are superficial. But this feels like something more. He puts a comforting hand on Eddie’s shoulder and pats him gently before coaxing him to turn around._

_“Forget him Eds. Let’s go.”_

_Eddie lets himself be lead away but he remains fairly quiet for the rest of day._


	8. Chapter 8

_“Who would win in a fight. Eddie or Richie?” Stan asks in the background of another of Eddie and Richie’s attempts to verbally eviscerate each other. Stan watches the two boys currently squirming and pushing at each other as they fight for pride of place in the hammock. Again._

_This makes the rest of the group look between him, Eddie and Richie, considering the question._

_Richie and Eddie stop mid-tussle to consider this themselves. _

_“Obviously me!” Richie says. “Eddie’s too small to be a real threat, just look at these little noodle arms.” Richie pinches Eddie’s arm and Eddie slaps his shoulder. “I could just sit on him and I’d win.”_

_“I d-don’t know man. Eddie is kind of scrappy,” Bill says._

_“True,” Beverly agrees._

_“My money is on Eddie,” Says Mike._

_“Hey, you do know that I’m actually here right? You guys can stop talking about me like I’m not even here!” Eddie shoves Richie again but it has no real force behind it. “I could beat you. One on one, right here right now,” Eddie says, staring intently at Richie._

_Eddie’s mean face however only serves to crack Richie up. But while his defences are down Eddie manages to wrangle him into submission and pin him to the bottom of the hammock. Eddie sits atop him to keep him there._

_“See!” Eddie says loudly over Richie’s protests._

_“Get off me! This hammock smells weird, it’s like being trapped in your mom’s underwear draw.”_

_Two seconds later they’re at it again, shoving and pushing and cursing._

_Ben hopes the clubhouse ceiling doesn’t cave in._

_Stan rolls his eyes and regrets opening his mouth. _


	9. Chapter 9

_“Richie you’re going too fast. My mom’s cousin’s, sister’s friend’s daughter broke her neck from going down a hill just like this one on her bike. She flipped right over the handle bars and practically ran herself over!”_

_Richie barks a laugh, grinning at Eddie as he slows down his bike to catch sight of Eddie’s annoyed expression. It’s just them today and Eddie is already annoyed at him. For some reason having that fiery gaze on him makes him want to wind Eddie up even more._

_“What the fuck are you talking about?”_

_“You’ll get hurt! Don’t say I didn’t warn you!”_   
_“Pfft. If I graze my knee you can just kiss it better.”_

_Eddie's face is a picture of revulsion but it seems too exaggerated. His cheeks are red. That’s the last thing Richie notices before he hits a rock in the road and suddenly the world is spinning upside down._

_Richie groans, his leg feels like it’s on fire, his body aches but it feels as though he landed on grass which is lucky. When he blinks his eyes open there’s a blurry face above him._

_“Richie! I told you! I frickin told you this would happen!!”_

_“Calm down,” Richie groans, sitting up._

_Eddie crouches next to him and slides Richie’s glasses onto his face for him. Eddie’s eyes are wide and worried when he comes into focus._

_They both look down at Richie’s leg where his knee is caked with mud and dirt._

_“... Actually, do you think your mom would kiss-”_

_“You are such an idiot!”_


	10. Chapter 10

Eddie polishes off his third glass of champagne for the evening and decides that no more is necessary. He’s been chatting comfortably with his colleagues and Richie as his plus one has been beyond polite and friendly. In fact it’s more than Eddie could have hoped for. Usually Richie hates these things but comes along to them anyway because Eddie doesn’t like them much either and prefers his company.

Eddie watches Richie in his expensive suit - that has stayed remarkably pristine all evening - as he converses with a few higher ups. Richie is on his best behaviour it seems... Which is... Weird. Usually he’s cracking inappropriate jokes which Eddie has to pretend he doesn’t find funny.

Eddie observes him long enough to grow suspicious and approaches him when he wanders over to the buffet.

“You are remarkably well behaved tonight. What did you do?”

“Nothing... Well. Don’t be mad okay?”

“Richie...”

“I... I may have pranged your boss' car.”

“...”

“But it’s totally cool. We swapped insurance info and I’m going to pay for the damages, give him free tickets to my show-“

“Remind me to kill you when we get home,” Eddie whisper-shouts, “For real. I’m gonna chop you up into little pieces and feed you to the neighbour's dog.”

“Oh, that’s not a good idea. I probably taste like cigarettes and she’d _definitely_ get alcohol poisoning-“

“Richie!”

“It's fine!” 

Eddie sighs. His boss makes disapproving eye contact with him and he thinks of a hundred ways he is going to make Richie pay.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Homophobic slur and the c word. Because Bowers.

_Richie gets a bad feeling five minutes into last period when Eddie’s desk next to him remains vacant. He’d gone to the bathroom before the lesson had started and still hadn’t returned. Five minutes becomes ten and Richie raises his hand to excuse himself. He gets a hall pass and heads into the empty corridor. He makes his way swiftly to the end of the hall heart pounding as he hears Bowers' voice echo off the walls. _

_“Are you scared? you little fucking faggot, because you look like you’re about to piss your pants.”_

_Peering around the corner Richie sees that about half way down the hall between two classrooms, Bowers and his goons have Eddie cornered, back pressed against the lockers. The skin around Eddie’s right eye looks a little swollen and his eyes are wide and full of fear. Richie grits his teeth and something inside him snaps. He steps out from his hiding place, fingers lightly touching the wall. _

_“Hey Bowers,” he calls in a voice that’s much braver than he feels._

_The gang turn to eyeball him and Richie sees Eddie breathe his name. He puffs out his chest a little at that. Confidence boosted._

_“What’s the difference between your face and your ass? Nothing, shit comes out both ends.”_

_Maybe not his best joke but it has its desired effect. Bowers' attention is on him now, not Eddie. Bowers' eye twitches and he turns to advance on Richie. _

_“What was that? You little cunt.”_

_Richie, anticipating this, reaches up and yanks the red handle of the fire alarm. There’s a tense few seconds where nobody moves as the alarm blares loud and shrill throughout the school, then classroom doors burst open and the halls are flooded with teachers and students making their way to the exits._

_Bowers loses sight of him and Richie takes the opportunity to skirt the crowd to get to Eddie. He grabs Eddie’s hand and shoves between the bullies still boxing him in, pulling Eddie into the stream of chattering students._

_Richie can hear Bowers yelling but they’re out of the front door before he can reach them. _   
_Richie doesn’t let go of Eddie’s hand. They run, and run until neither of them can breathe, until Richie thinks they’re going so fast they might take flight. Down alleyways, between houses, along streets. Eddie doesn’t let go, he squeezes Richie’s hand tight and Richie vows that he’ll keep a hold of him until they’re safe._

_It feels as though they have outrun the devil himself by the time they reach the main bridge into town. They tumble down the grassy verge and into the shade under the bridge. Only then do they let go of each other. _

_Eddie sits on a large rock, struggling to get air into his lungs. His fingers scrabble frantically at the stupid fanny pack he’s wearing, unsuccessful in finding the zipper. Richie takes over, slapping his hands away. He unzips the pack and pulls out the inhaler which Eddie snatches gratefully and shakes up. He takes three deep inhales until he’s finally got enough breath back to wheeze: “I cannot-... _Believe_... You just did that. We’re so fucking dead.” He takes another extra dramatic pull from the inhaler making Richie roll his eyes. _

_“What else is new?” Richie says, as he kicks a stone which goes skittering out into the sunlight. Summer is almost here. _

_“Have you ever had a suitcase wedgie Richie? Because I have and let me tell you that it’s not fucking pleasant. I could get like, haemorrhoids or something!!”_

_“Eddie-“_

_“Oh god what if he kicks me in the balls so hard I get testicular contortion!”_

_“What the fuck is testicular contortion??”_

_“What if he actually murders me and my mother can’t find my body and then he’ll come after you and-“_

_Richie slaps both hands against Eddie’s cheeks, the sound of it echoing off the underside of the bridge. Richie holds his face, making Eddie meet his gaze. _

_“No one’s going to murder you,” Richie says, a lot softer than he’d meant to. _

_Eddie looks into his eyes, calming with every passing moment. It occurs to Richie he’s held Eddie for too long when Eddie’s eyes begin to search his. Richie can’t help it, he looks at Eddie’s mouth feeling a hot flush of shame. Gently he taps Eddie’s left cheek snapping them both out of the moment._

_“Don’t lose your shit okay?” he murmurs, stepping away and adjusting his glasses. “Lets go get some fucking ice cream. My treat.”_

_“Yeah, okay... My eye hurts.”_

_“Don’t be such a pussy.”_

_“You’re a pussy!”_

_“Your mom’s a pussy.”_

_Eddie rolls his eyes and gets up off the rock, dusting himself off before pushing Richie. Richie only laughs as he stumbles sideways and walks out into the sunlight. Without really thinking about it he holds out his hand. _

_“It’s steep,” he says, gesturing to the hill, and Eddie doesn’t question it, just puts his hand in Richie’s and trusts him to lead the way._


	12. Chapter 12

Richie drums his hands on the steering wheel waiting for the lights to change. All he can think about is the cake currently sitting in the fridge at home. The leftovers from his surprise birthday party the day previous. 

He’d stopped caring much about birthdays around the time he lost touch with his childhood friends but since they’d reunited, Eddie never lets a birthday pass without organising something. Says they spent too long forgetting. So Richie lets him plan. It’s usually quiet drinks with the losers club at their house. Which suits Richie just fine. The only people in the world he actually wants to spend time with. 

But the one thing that’s just as good as the company is the cake. Eddie pays close attention to the sweet things Richie leans towards all year and orders a cake to suit his tastes. This year was a chocolate and cherry cake that had made Richie temporarily worry about becoming diabetic after the first bite. After the second. Not so much. Safe to say it was a hit with the rest of the gang and now there’s only one piece left. 

After pulling into the driveway and parking up he practically sprints into the house. Once he enters the kitchen though he’s greeted by a sight more horrifying than any killer clown. Eddie is sat at the island finishing off the last slice of cake. 

Richie opens his mouth but no words come out and Eddie looks at him quizzically. 

“What?”

“You... I’m so mad at you right now, you _ate_ my fucking leftovers. Get out of my house.”

Eddie laughs. “It's _our_ house. Therefore _our_ leftovers dipshit.”

Richie stares at him, body tense. 

Eddie licks his lips and is about to say something else when Richie surges forward and kisses him. Eddie gives a startled squeak as Richie’s hands cup his cheeks but he melts into it after a moment. 

Richie breaks away mumbling “you little asshole” against his lips. 

Eddie laughs again. “You really think I’d eat the last of your birthday cake huh? There’s more in the fridge dumbass. I saved some for you.”

Richie pauses, brain processing before he kisses Eddie again. “God I love you.” 

“I know. You’re screwed.”

“In the best way.”


End file.
